It’s a perfect match. A clothing manufacturer has samples it no longer needs, but which it does not want sold. A South Auckland church has a clothing exchange, where families can come in once a month to select up to five free garments at a time. Rather than waste the samples the manufacturer instead donates them to the church – cartons of them at a time.

Actually it is a little more complicated than that. To prevent sale of the samples, the manufacturer routinely slits the clothes, usually in the back of the garment. So, as each batch of cartons arrive at the church, a group of about a dozen women gather together to mend the outfits for the church’s clothing exchange. This is Manukau City Baptist’s ‘Sew 4 Love’ initiative.

Each woman brings her own sewing machine and thread, and the church sets up tables in its roomy foyer where the sewing and clothes-sorting take place. Throw in some good coffee and cake, and the exercise not only helps families in need, it also provides a time of fellowship as sewers chat to one another over their machines.

This story is a good example of how to use the resources God has placed in your hand. Not every church will be able to strike up such a deal; in this case, it came via a church member who works for the clothing factory. However, have you ever done an inventory of the companies or organisations with which your congregation or volunteers have connections? Who knows the possibilities that may exist at the edges of these networks?

Manukau City Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor, Alastair Hall, says: “As a pastor I have learnt never to say no to what is offered to us as a church, because I know if God supplies it, he has a use for it. Recently through a business organisation we were offered 3,000 pairs of girls’ shoes. We borrowed a forklift from a neighbouring business, unloaded them and wondered what to do with them.

“Those shoes went to our church community, to our local community, to families in Christchurch, and through other churches in our community. We even set up a shoe store at our Light Party where girls came, sat down, got fitted and chose the colour of their new pair of shoes. Never say no to what God sends you!”

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